How to set up an IRC

INTERNET RELAY CHAT (IRC):

IRC also known to be Internet Relay Chat is still very vital and subjective in the field of internet communication. May be perhaps due to gaming, people felt that it was time that they started to accquire the knowledge of how to setup, configure and use IRC. Well for thinkers with this thought, it is to be cleared that it is truely not an easy task, it is a tough job to get it done, and there is so much you need to actually learn and remember, such as commands and the varioous keywords used in this process. This manual will provide you with the sufficient and crystal clear information of IRC software and will also give you the thorough medium for using this application in an advantageous manner.

For this manual you will be guided through all the necessary details of how to use an IRC software and completely transact into a new version called mIRC. No doubt It is the most popular and known version of software on internet communication and consists of many options which cannot be set in other IRC software. You can get mIRC from here. mIRC is only a free trial, which runs out after 30 days, but after that it just keeps informing you that your trial has ran out, you can click OK and continue and it will not interrupt with the same duration untill you log out or turn your machine off.

Before getting the started and configuring mIRC let us just proceed with the baby step i.e the basic facts and criterias around IRC and it's functioning.

IRC is a conceptual series of entering a digital chatrooms where almost anybody can join by logging in with a general command client , and you can then chat with anyone and everyone in the room, just in the same way you do with normal instant messaging softwares. All chat rooms are pre-installed on IRC servers, in which the most popular is known to be Quakenet. System extreme also have our own IRC server, which by the end of this manual, you can connect to and chat.

Each chatroom or more commonly referred to as channel has a adequate unique name. Consider an example, we do have our gaming channel on the Quakenet server which is known as #SX-Gaming. Just pay attention here as the '#' that always proceeds before channel names.
After that start with the setup mIRC procedure. After installing, open mIRC.exe. Now proceed to Tools and then Options. You will view a dialog box that looks exactly the one shown below.
You will get it where it is been highlighted. the initial activity you need to perform is complete the section by filling out that section with syour appropriate username. If you are in the SX clan, then please reset your name as "SX-name" for better functioning.
Next step to proceed with is to define a server for connectivity purpose. Initially they will allow to get started on Quakenet because as itis been earlier discussed that it is been themost popular and most attented sections.
Select Server from the option in the left panel window, and in the middle box click Add.

Insert the following information:

Description: Quakenet
IRC Server: irc.quakenet.org
Port: Leave as default
Group: Quakenet

As soon as you have completed with this procedure, then click Connect to Server in the Server Options window. If you have been following the steps properly then in the main mIRC window you will be having a tab available.
So just open up with the heading Quakenet and then enter your username which was entered in the earlier username section.
suddenly a dialog box will appear that
Congratulations, you have successfully logged in and you can now connected to Quakenet.
As you are connected to an IRC Server, it is time to proceed for joining Channels with your chat id. At this point, a bit more information is essential about how to navigate around IRC and also to learn a few necessary and important commands.

Thus to join an IRC channel, you must use the command /join. It's syntax is as follows:

/join <<CHANNEL NAME>>
Consider an example ...
/join #SX-Gaming

Always keep in mind that you should remember the # sign that is always required before a channel name. execute this step and, click the tab which says Quakenet and in the text box at the bottom of your window, type the command above.
Another command you should always remember is the /server command. This command will support you to connect your desktop computer to some other server via online internet connection, such as the official Sysextreme IRC server.

Use below given syntax for execution of above activity:

/server -m irc.sysxtreme.com

Here -m parameter opens you into a new window. As you are connected to servers and channels, let me explain you some more essential points about using the channels.
As it is discussed earlier, there are many channels in IRC; So In every channel there are people available such asoperators or ops. They are basically channel commanders or moderators and they have the ability to delete, ban, change topic and many other things inside the set channel option. You can identify operators as they are at the top of the channel, and they have an @ sign proceeding their name. For example @SX-Michell.
The entire IRC software is commanded by providing people certain modes. Modes are in general set by the ops and they control what priviledges people have in the channel. The most common of these is +v or voice. Voice is a kind of priviledge that is generally given to everyperson who enters channel, and it basically means that they have a status in the channel, but not so high as that of ops, but they have the ability to talk when a moderating mode is on with the help of this command +m.
Operators can set peoples modes by using the command /mode. The syntax used for it is:

/mode <<USERNAME>> +v

+v can be replaced with any mode you like, such as +b for ban, +o for operator, or many others such other commands.
Operators can also set modes by right clicking somebody's username in the right panel available of mIRC and selecting control, then the required mode.
As you know the basic about the irc and what it does, how IRC works, and how to navigate, Now we will proceed with the working of customising mIRC to make life and this software more easier, Initial step will be how to automatically connect to servers/channels on startup.
If you rollback to Tools, Options and select the appropiate required box:
Click there and then provide tick on the box ensuring that you want to enable the option of performing on connectivity. Then click Add and select the required server to specify startup commands for. Also do keep in mind that to make a server appear in this box, it must be specified as in group in the Connect options. For more information on how perform this activity, roll back to above part about just adding a server.
As you have added a server, try to select it form the drop down box and then you can begin to add commands to issue when you first connect to the server. You performance box will just as same the way give ahead irc.sysxtreme.com .

/join #SysXtreme
/join #SXradio

Now you can add whatever you want to in this box, for example when you add auth with the server, you will put your authorisation information in the given box, and also if you want to change your name on startup, you can do it with the help of using the command /nick command.
Now try to configure it and perform dialogue which will suit you, and you are pretty much configured to run IRC, Thus for further information learning, I will now tell you about bots, mainly subjected on quakenet.
The main bots on Quakenet are L and Q. Bots serves the purpose to permenantly stay in an idle situation in your channel, and ensure that nobody takes over them. L is meant for smaller channels, and Q for larger channel. They can also be configured automatically by creating people's operators, or automatically voice people as they enter a channel. To do this , you must proceed in auth with Q.
You may then add the auth information to your Perform dialogue option.
Also with the help of mIRC, you can customise the colours of text and background, to make it more pleasing and lookable, try to edit with colours, You can press Alt-K and choose a custom colour scheme which can suit you.
You may also know how options such as highlight or flash makes your window vibrant and glassy; whenever somebody says your name to grab your attention.
For activating this, proceed into options, and find highlight under the IRC menu. Tick the box saying enable highlighting and click add to add a word you wish to highlight. In the options tick the box saying Flash Message.
The above steps were the final one's and going through all these systematic steps, you will be an expert user for using IRC.

Any queries or reply, please feel free to ask.............